Two very collectible American ‘Airflow’ sedans from the 1930s – a ‘barn-find’ 1934 Chrysler and a 1934 DeSoto in good overall condition – are standout vehicles entered in Shannons Melbourne Autumn Classic auction on May 4.

Nearly $1.15 million was invested by enthusiasts and collectors on 24 black and white ‘Heritage’ numeric number plates at Shannons Sydney Autumn Classic Auction on Monday, March 2, outperforming the 26 classic vehicles in the sale.

While a restored and locally-delivered 1960 Volkswagen Kombi Samba Bus sold for $202,000 stole the show at Shannons February 23 Melbourne Late Summer Auction, a number of other Classics posted impressive results in the $1.35 million sale.

Classic Garage

After early Valiants applied the blow torch to Holden and Ford to lift their game, Australians regarded these local Chrysler models with affection and respect. Because the VE Valiant could never convincingly top either the combined XT Falcon/ZB Fairlane range or the Holden HK range in 1968, expectations for the VF Valiant at its overdue March 1969 release were high. Instead, Chrysler’s bold attempt to present the VF as The Beautiful Beast proved one of the most ambitious claims of the era.

On its February 1968 local release, the Datsun 1600’s specifications matched or bettered BMW then proved more reliable and rugged under local conditions. Despite the full force of Aussie trade barriers, the new Datsun’s $2050 import price was just $5 more than a locally-assembled Cortina 1300. Its performance and on road behaviour shamed the latest Cortina 1600 GT which cost a full 25 per cent more. The Datsun 1600 is rightfully listed globally as a 20th century game changer, with the benefit of hindsight.

The GM-H launch of the Australian-assembled Vauxhall PA Velox in May 1958 makes no sense in today’s context. As a six cylinder family car, it shadowed the Holden in almost every dimension including engine capacity. By 1960, the facelifted Velox/Cresta range was far enough ahead of the retrograde Holden FB to make it redundant on a level playing field.

After the Escort Mk I was launched to the world in January 1968, it took until March 1970 for it to reach Australia. For a car already two years old when it got here, it was a welcome addition to the small car battleground with its fresh styling and interior but not its poor equipment and finish. Changes to local import laws allowed Ford to build it to the required standard at Homebush, NSW, Ford’s new small car manufacturing centre previously the home of the Galaxie.

Racing Garage

“It would be fair to say that the VF Pacer was the first Valiant that opened Chrysler Australia’s eyes to the benefits of being directly involved in motor sport,” former competitions boss John Ellis told Shannons Club. “It led to more investment and participation by the factory and ultimately the Hemi Pacer and R/T Charger programs.”

If Nissan was aiming to emulate the practicality and sporting prowess of BMW’s compact sedans of the 1960s in a more affordable form, the burgeoning Japanese manufacturer proved a crack shot. The Datsun 1600 (or 510) released in 1968 hit the bulls-eye, with strong sales and four years of Bathurst dominance straight off the showroom floor.

General Motors holds the distinction of being outright winner of the first Armstrong 500 held at Phillip Island in 1960. However, the winning car was not a Holden. In fact, there were no Holdens entered, which is surprising given the huge popularity of ‘Australia’s Own Car’ at the time.

When a hot Twin Cam model was revealed only two months after the all-new Escort’s UK launch in 1968, Ford’s sporting intentions were clear. What followed was a series of brilliant competition-bred Escorts that would take the motor sport world by storm.

A huge entry of 512 racing, sports and touring cars spanning eight decades is taking part in this weekend’s the 26th Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport on the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.

Old Bikes

Two young brothers, Wilhelm and Otto Maisch, eyed the booming scene with enthusiasm, and decided there was room for yet another brand. Thus Maico, an abbreviation of Maich Company (which was founded by Ulrich Maisch in Poltingen, near Stuttgart in 1926), was formed and began modest production in Wurtemburg in 1934, making their own frames and cycle parts with 98 cc Ilo and 125 cc Sachs engines.

Dr. Joseph Ehrlich, who was born in Vienna and died in Britain in 2003 aged 89, has been described as a “volatile man” and “difficult”, among other things. But there is no disputing that in engineering terms, he was a trail blazer and an innovator who brooked no acceptance of convention. His was a life of experimentation – of challenging the norm.

MotoGP

The Doctor is back! Valentino Rossi has taken the reigns ahead of Ducati and won the first round of the MotoGP. The race had everything the fans could have asked for from crashes to battles and Rossi celebrating in style by licking the television camera lens. The race was exciting from start to finish.

Racing motorcycles and pushing the limits of speed are what MotoGP riders do best. The time has come for the 2015 season to get underway in Qatar this weekend. Not only will the race weekend feature the likes of Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo… it will also feature Moto2 riders including Johann Zarco, Tito Rabat, Alex Marquez and Tom Luthi. Whilst, the Moto3 category features new team entries including the Drive M7 SIC Racing Team who started off on the right foot.